An added time own goal gave the Spireites a 1-0 victory against Salford City at the Peninsula Stadium – a first three points of 2026.
The hosts had the majority of the chances, but Brandon Cooper put the ball into his own net with time almost up.
Six changes were made from the weekend as Chey Dunkley, Tom Naylor, Dilan Markanday, Armando Dobra, Dylan Duffy and Lee Bonis returned to the starting XI.
The pitch at the Peninsula Stadium provided challenges for both sides with play on the floor proving difficult.
Salford had the first two shots of the contest as Kallum Cesay and Haji Monag both failed to trouble Zach Hemming from the edge of the area.
Markanday twisted and turned on the right-hand side before digging out a cross, which was headed over from Duffy.
Thirty minutes into the first half, Hemming made a fantastic save to stop Ollie Turton’s header from finding the back of the net.
Chances were few and far between for Chesterfield in the opening 45; a long ball forward from Ryan Stirk found Bonis in behind the defence, but his attempt lob was skewed into the arms of Matty Young.
Luke Garbutt attempted to put send his side into the break with the lead as his added time free-kick was well held by Hemming.
The second half saw the home side create a number of chances to break the deadlock; Mnoga’s early chipped effort landed clipped the roof of the net.
In the 56th minute, Will Dickson was brought on in place of Dobra for the first change of the evening.
Ryan Graydon had a golden chance to give his side the lead, but his six-yard shot crashed against the crossbar and away from goal.
The Salford striker continued asking the Chesterfield defence and goalkeeper questions as he saw one chance blocked by Swinkels and a volley that went wide of a post.
Liam Mandeville and Freddie Ladapo came on with around ten minutes to go, and it was the former who saw a long-range effort rise just over the crossbar moments later.
With the three additional minutes almost up at the end of the second half, Sam Curtis’ low cross was diverted into the back of the net by Cooper to give the Spireites the spoils.
Chesterfield: Hemming, Curtis, Dunkley ©️, Swinkels, Pearce, Naylor, Stirk, Markanday (Mandeville 78), Dobra (Dickson 56), Duffy, Bonis (Ladapo 78).
Unused Substitutes: McFadzean, Braybrook, Berry, Grigg.
Attendance: 2,630 (695 away)
